Sabine Freizer Gunes

UN Women Rep in Ukraine. Interested in Ukraine, Balkans, Caucasus, Turkey + Central Asia. Tweets are personal. Moving to @sabinefreizer.bsky.social

[Tom Fletcher @UNReliefChief]

The danger of allowing the world to be run by weak and insecure men.

[OCHA Ukraine @OCHA_Ukraine]

National actors and humanitarians are assisting residents coping with the aftermath of the overnight attack.

Humanitarian Coordinator @matzschmale, who visited the impacted site in Kyiv, underlines the importance of continued support from the international community for Ukraine.

[Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) @UNHumanRightsUA]

Russia launched another massive overnight attack with long‑range missiles and drones, killing at least 22 civilians, including 2 children, and injuring 145, incl. 8 children, across Ukraine - according to authorities. Civilian casualties in 2026 are ~20% higher vs same period in 2025, driven by increased use of long‑range weapons.

[Sabine Freizer Gunes @SabineFreizer]

Rare non work related tweet, back to a topic I used to focus on, excellent piece on overturning electoral authoritarianism:
This Is the Formula That Defeated Orban. It Would Defeat Trump, Too. https://t.co/nbX4kZki32 via @NYTOpinion

[Sabine Freizer Gunes @SabineFreizer]

Russia is listed by the UN SG as credibly suspected of committing or being responsible for patterns of rape or other forms of sexual violence against Ukrainians
This is a huge step for accountability & thanks to survivors’ own advocacy

[PassBlue @pass_blue]

UN SecGen report on sexual violence in conflict,
including Israel's violations against Palestinian detainees & Hamas's actions against Israeli hostages
https://t.co/roKZpaTdRC

[NEXTA @nexta_tv]

Today is Kyiv Day

Western diplomats performed the song “Kyieve Miy”, which is considered the unofficial anthem of the Ukrainian capital.

The video was published by the British Embassy in Ukraine.

In addition to British diplomats, staff from the French and German embassies also took part.

[UKR Mission to the UN @UKRinUN]

The UN Security Council will hold a meeting on “Maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine” on 28 May at 3 pm at the request of 🇺🇦 and supported by 🇱🇻, 🇩🇰, 🇫🇷, 🇬🇷, and 🇬🇧.

➡️ - https://t.co/A9cdZ1bC6y

[Maxime PREVOT @prevotmaxime]

I have asked that the Russian Ambassador to Belgium be summoned today.

Russia’s announcement calling on diplomatic personnel and foreign citizens to leave Kyiv ahead of planned strikes is unacceptable. Threatening embassies is not diplomacy, it is intimidation. And it is a flagrant violation of international law and the Vienna Convention.

Belgium is not going anywhere. We are staying in Kyiv. We are standing with Ukraine. And we will not be intimidated.

There is one aggressor in this war, and it is Russia. The solution to end this cycle of escalation is remarkably simple: Russia must stop its aggression and engage in genuine peace talks.

@BelgiumMFA

[The Kyiv Independent @KyivIndependent]

“In Ukraine, in the midst of the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II, we are not merely keeping our institutions afloat, but fundamentally reimagining what they are — making them more agile and more responsive to people's actual lives,” writes Valeriia Koval, Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation, in her op-ed.

https://t.co/DnmqQ5h8Qr

[OCHA Ukraine @OCHA_Ukraine]

Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, @matzschmale, has visited one of the impacted sites after a Russian Federation Armed Forces attack in Kyiv.

Civilian lives were lost, residences and public spaces suffered damage, and people's mental health was impacted. This has to stop. 📹

[UN Women Ukraine @unwomenukraine]

The Russian Armed Forces launched another large-scale attack on Kyiv and the Kyiv region on 24 May, killing two women and injuring more than 80 people. Many lost their homes, businesses, and livelihoods, while cultural and historical sites were also seriously damaged.
January–April 2026 were deadlier for women and girls than the same period in 2023–2025. In 2025, 27% more women were killed than in 2024.
We share the pain of those who lost their loved ones and wish a full recovery to everyone injured in these horrific attacks. Civilians and civilian infrastructure are protected under international humanitarian law and must never be targeted. #ForAllWomenAndGirls
@SabineFreizer

[Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine (HRMMU) @UNHumanRightsUA]

Overnight, a large-scale combined attack by Russian armed forces with long-range missiles and drones killed 4 people and injured at least 89, most of them in Kyiv city and region, according to Ukrainian authorities. Our team will be visiting sites of the attack. Long-range weapons are one of the main reasons for why casualties so far in 2026 are higher than in the same period last year. For more information, see https://t.co/KGvD0PvGsV

[The Tennis Letter @TheTennisLetter]

Marta Kostyuk gave a very emotional speech about Ukraine after beating Selekhmeteva in Roland Garros

Marta: “I’m incredibly proud of myself today. I think it was one of the most difficult matches of my career. This morning, 100 meters from my parent’s house, the missile destroyed the building. It was a very difficult morning. I didn’t know how this match is gonna turn out for me. I didn’t know how I would handle it. I’ve been crying part of the morning. I don’t wanna talk about myself today. I’m very pleased to be in the 2nd round, but all of my thoughts and all my heart goes to the people of Ukraine today. Thank you so much for coming out. Slava Ukraine.” ❤️

“With this kind of events you told us.. Why is it so important to be here on the court today?”

Marta: “Because I think it’s important to keep going. My biggest example is Ukrainian people. I woke up in the morning today and I looked at all these people who woke up and kept living their live, kept helping people who are in need. I knew a lot of Ukrainian flags would be here today and a lot of Ukrainian people would come out and support. My friends from Ukraine came as well. Very happy to have them here. Not much I can say.” ❤️

[OCHA Ukraine @OCHA_Ukraine]

Ten days after a deadly strike that killed children, residents of #Kyiv have faced the devastating impact of yet another attack by the Russian Federation Armed Forces.

Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, @matzschmale, calls for this pattern of harm to civilians to stop.

[Sabine Freizer Gunes @SabineFreizer]

Odesa Opera House and performance is absolutely world class: such a shame that due to Russia’s large scale invasion more people cannot see it

[Sabine Freizer Gunes @SabineFreizer]

Thank you @Ulkoministerio 🇫🇮 for supporting @unwomenukraine strategy to increase equality & women’s empowerment starting in Ukraine’s local communities & cities like Kyiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia

@FernandezTarja @finlandinuk

We advance our strategy together
🇫🇮🇸🇪🇳🇴🇩🇰🇫🇷🇵🇱 🇦🇹

[UN Women Ukraine @unwomenukraine]

Finland continues to support🤝@unwomenukraine strategic work to advance women’s leadership, economic empowerment, and gender-responsive recovery - ensuring no woman or girl is left behind.

During a visit to @kmda_official, the Finnish delegation discussed gender equality, women’s leadership, and gender-responsive budgeting as a key element of Ukraine’s recovery and a more equal future.

Kiitos for Finland’s continued partnership! 🇫🇮🇺🇦#ForAllWomenAndGirls

@FinlandinUA

[UN Women Ukraine @unwomenukraine]

Vyshyvanka is more than traditional clothing💙💛
It is a symbol of identity, resilience, and connection across generations.
On #VyshyvankaDay, @unwomenukraine celebrates Ukrainian women who preserve traditions, lead change, support communities, and shape the country’s future every day #ForAllWomenAndGirls

[Sabine Freizer Gunes @SabineFreizer]

@EuromaidanPR

[Sabine Freizer Gunes @SabineFreizer]

Kyiv in tonight’s storm…
Thank you Anna from my amazing @unwomenukraine team, thank you all every night!

[UN Women Ukraine @unwomenukraine]

Losing a home twice and starting over: the story of Olena Moskvichenko

Olena Moskvichenko was forced to leave her native Luhansk region twice because of the war. The first time was in 2014, when she lived for some time in Kremenchuk in the Poltava region, but later returned home.

At the beginning of 2022, on the eve of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Olena came to Kremenchuk again — this time to give birth to her child. Due to active hostilities in the Luhansk region, she was unable to return home.

Losing her home and family business forced her to look for new opportunities and start from scratch. In Kremenchuk, Olena and her husband launched a new business — producing natural extruded pet food and cereals for dogs, as well as groundbait for fishing.

Today, the couple continues to develop their business, successfully adapting to the host community. They have not only established their own enterprise but also supported others by employing two internally displaced women.

Participation in the NIZHNА project (Unbreakable Initiative of Women — Persistent and Active), implemented by the NGO “Light of Hope” with technical support from UN Women Ukraine and funding from the United Nations Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF), enabled Olena to grow her business and improve production processes. Learn more about Olena’s story and her business in the video.

This video was produced by the NGO “Light of Hope” with technical support from UN Women Ukraine and funding from the @wphfund , however, the views expressed and content included do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations.